MISTRIAL KS - Mike Sisco, 47, & Karen Harkness, 53, murdered, Topeka, 7 July 2002 *2nd retrial*

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wfgodot

wfgodot

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It took 9 years and 18 days, but an arrest has finally been made - of the woman they all thought had done it all along:

Authorities arrest ex-wife in 2002 slayings (Topeka Capital-Journal)
DUNCAN, Okla. — Dana Chandler was arrested Monday morning in the parking lot of an Arby’s fast food restaurant next to a busy street in Duncan in connection with the 2002 cold-case slayings of Karen Harkness and Mike Sisco in their southwest Topeka home.

Chandler, 51, is the ex-wife of Sisco
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A half-dozen officers had their guns drawn and pointed at Chandler’s Lexus automobile and shouted orders to her to surrender.
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On July 7, 2002, Harkness and Sisco were asleep in bed in Harkness’ town home in the 2200 block of S.W. Westport Square when they were shot repeatedly with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol.

Harkness was shot five times, and Sisco had seven gunshot wounds
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(more, plus many related links, at Capital-Journal link above)

Here's the '48 Hours' ("Haunted") which documents the case as of two years ago. Well worth watching.
 
I remember this case. I usually watch this show. I'm glad that they finally made an arrest. The reason I remember it so clearly is that her daughter was so afraid of her.

The full episode can be found on the show's website. I tried to link but it wouldn't work.
 
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Officers had located [Dana] Chandler, who was the manager at the Arby’s, and followed her Monday morning as she turned into the fast food restaurant parking lot.
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Chandler will be held in the Stephens County Jail in Duncan awaiting extradition hearings before she can be returned to the custody of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.
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Updated info from the C-J article, plus pictures of arrest, at link: http://cjonline.com/news/2011-07-25/authorities-arrest-ex-wife-2002-slayings

One of the pics.
 
Anyone here watch ID -Investigative Discovery? It is about this case to tonight least on my ID channel. Could be a repeat, because nothing about an arrest of DanaChandler. Thought the timing was almost eerie -much suspicion on Dana Chandler acording to this show.
 
This is incredible, well done to the FBI for reviewing the case. Both families must be thankful of an arrest finally of the obviously guilty party.
 
This is such great news. I live 1/4 mile from the townhouse where the couple were killed in cold blood. I have known Karen's family for years and am so pleased they have finally received some solace in knowing that awful person is arrested.

Thanks, wfgodot! I haven't paid much attention to local news the past few days. Funny how WS brings my local news to my attention. Where do you live?
 
darnudes said:
This is incredible, well done to the FBI for reviewing the case. Both families must be thankful of an arrest finally of the obviously guilty party.
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Not trying to be nit-picky, but just so the right agency gets their due credit, I believe it was the Kansas Bureau of Investigations. :)

Chandler was arrested in Duncan, Okla., by Oklahoma law enforcement officers, Topeka police officers and Kansas Bureau of Investigation special agents on a warrant charging her with the 2002 shooting deaths of Harkness and Sisco.
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Source:
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-07-25/local-reaction-chandler-arrest-happy-news

Good job by LE. Let's just hope the justice system works better than it did in the infamous Anthony case.
 
Kateyes said:
Anyone here watch ID -Investigative Discovery? It is about this case to tonight least on my ID channel. Could be a repeat, because nothing about an arrest of DanaChandler. Thought the timing was almost eerie -much suspicion on Dana Chandler acording to this show.
Click to expand...

my husband was channel surfing a couple of weeks ago and found id channel he is now addicted to the id channel

when I got off of work tonight, He talked about this case all night, wait until i tell him she was finally arrested
 
This case from the very beginning pointed to Dana the ex-wife yet the detective working the case at the time looked everywhere but at the very one that was most suspicious.

I believe that was because she happened to be an adult female. Not one with a male accomplice but capable of doing this all on her own and the detective just couldn't get it in his head how evil and vindictive some females can be or what lengths they will go to .........to get even.

I think there are many other unsolved crimes that were committed by females where LE never put them on the potential suspect lists when they should have been front and center all the time.

It irks me to no end to know this walked around for 9 years free as a bird.

Thank God for a new set of eyes who were willing to look at the evidence and know it only pointed to one devious evil person.

Its so sad that both sides of the victims family members knew all along who had done this and had to sit there for years knowing she wasnt brought to justice until now.

IMO
 
that is GREAT news! I just watched this on ID... strange coincidence!
 
Stella5 said:
that is GREAT news! I just watched this on ID... strange coincidence!
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Me too, I felt so sad for the son and daughter, I'm so glad they went ahead with arresting her.Next thing will be to get a conviction which unfortunately may tough with the lack of proper forensics done at the scene, another circumstantial case....
 
oceanblueeyes said:
This case from the very beginning pointed to Dana the ex-wife yet the detective working the case at the time looked everywhere but at the very one that was most suspicious.

I believe that was because she happened to be an adult female. Not one with a male accomplice but capable of doing this all on her own and the detective just couldn't get it in his head how evil and vindictive some females can be or what lengths they will go to .........to get even.

I think there are many other unsolved crimes that were committed by females where LE never put them on the potential suspect lists when they should have been front and center all the time.

It irks me to no end to know this walked around for 9 years free as a bird.

Thank God for a new set of eyes who were willing to look at the evidence and know it only pointed to one devious evil person.

Its so sad that both sides of the victims family members knew all along who had done this and had to sit there for years knowing she wasnt brought to justice until now.

IMO
Click to expand...

After the Sandra Cantu and Jonathan Foster cases, I have felt that many cold cases especially involving children, could be solved by taking a closer look at female associates.
 
IIRC, wasn't she the one the victims' found jumping on their trampoline in the middle of the night in the previous months before their deaths? That really creeped me out... I'm glad she has finally been arrested.
 
Indianagirl said:
IIRC, wasn't she the one the victims' found jumping on their trampoline in the middle of the night in the previous months before their deaths? That really creeped me out... I'm glad she has finally been arrested.
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Yep, she's the one.

That's the image that sort of sets this case apart - a stalking ex- on the trampoline in the wee hours.
 
Kat said:
I remember this case. I usually watch this show. I'm glad that they finally made an arrest. The reason I remember it so clearly is that her daughter was so afraid of her.

The full episode can be found on the show's website. I tried to link but it wouldn't work.
Click to expand...

I couldn't place the case until I read your post. And then I knew exactly which one it was.
 
SuziQ said:
After the Sandra Cantu and Jonathan Foster cases, I have felt that many cold cases especially involving children, could be solved by taking a closer look at female associates.
Click to expand...

I agree Suzi and these women who have murdered have taken full advantage of the fact that even LE doesn't look as closely at females as potential suspects.

Remember the case in California where the detective's wife or ex wife was horribly murdered and his lover was another police officer? She was tortured including bite marks on her body. It took LE 23 years to finally arrest the female officer for murder and she should have been on the radar from day one.

I think there are a lot more female sexual predators too out there uncaught.

If these victims are going to get any kind of swift justice then the blinders have to come off when it comes to female murderers/predators by realizing what they are capable of doing.

No way should it have taken 9 years to solve this case.

IMO
 
Chandler waives extradition from Oklahoma to Kansas

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For survivors of cold-case victims, the list of law enforcement agencies involved in the Chandler case reflects "cooperative spirit and tenacity and should inspire people to have hope, that their local law enforcements agencies don't forget. These cases are a priority and will continue to be," [Shawnee County DA Chad] Taylor said.
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During the news conference, Taylor was asked whether Chandler was hiding out in the Oklahoma city, which has a population of about 22,500.

"I wouldn't call it hiding out," Taylor said. "It was existing."

When arrested, Chandler had been living in a tiny pull-behind trailer when the temperatures in southwest Oklahoma have been 100 degrees or hotter for at least 40 days in a row.
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(much more, plus "62 exclusive photos" of the arrest, at Topeka Capital-Journal link above; the arrest was also taped for "48 Hours Mystery")

Key photo.
 
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